March 2 2009 - Correllian Tradition

would mull over it and my mental state would be uneasy. These are the times when additional training
would have been helpful.
The mind and psyche of a youth in life or death situations needs to be trained and also to learn the
consequences of their actions. If a martial arts student ends up maiming or causing the death of their
opponent in self defense, there are many directions they can go; some positive, and some negative. In
one positive way, as long as the student has tried several times to use non life-threatening force,
followed the legal laws in place for such a situation, and has come to terms with the consequences of
their ability, they will come out of this a stronger student, even with the death of another. I am not
saying it is ok for anyone to maim or take life, but the situation has to be trained for. In a negative
light, some people have discovered that taking the life of another is easy, and revel in this. With some
of the techniques I trained in, this is a fact of how easy it can be. Some students are not taught these,
and all of them are taught in secrecy by only the senior black belts. Again, we come to the basis of
this lesson. Balance. Balance in a confrontation, and balance in life. I’d like to know others thoughts
on this next question. IF you were put into a situation, either by a job duty or by walking down the
street and being assaulted, and you were forced to defend yourself to a point of ending the life of
another, would you be able to? I follow the Wiccan Rede and know its most basic rule like I know my
name and Patron. My answer to this… It depends. I suppose the situation would have to be my life
or theirs; but still there is nothing that could prepare us for the final result. In 20 years I have only
used my abilities one time. I was assaulted at a job I held and had to defend both myself and my boss;
I stood over him while taking nine full swings from a guy with a Louisville Slugger baseball bat. I
blocked eight of the strikes with my forearms, but one did get through to my chest. During those 15-
20 seconds while this happened, I saw the confidence in my assailant drain out of him because I did
not retreat. I waited until my boss was out from underneath me and then withdrew. I was bruised for
about three months, but that was the extent of my injuries. This guy wanted me… Out of the way?
Unconscious? Could he have wanted me dead? I don’t know, but feel I reacted the best way in this
situation. I want to always teach my students the same compassion I have for life, all life.
Teaching never stops, wherever I go. I watched just recently as my one grandson ripped a vine from a
tree in my yard. I asked him why he did that. He had no reason to give me but the shrugging of his
shoulders. I then asked him if he’d like it if the tree ripped one of his arms. He didn’t like that
comment much, and I know some might groan because of the morbid statement made to an 8 year old,
but when I explained to him about the life within the vine, the same life which he has in his own body,
I saw a flicker of understanding. This is what I strive for in all of my teachings. Be they in martial
arts, Wicca, or just life itself. Revere that which thrives on this plane of existence. There are other
levels we will reach, in our own time. Within life is awareness. If we can be aware of our
surroundings and not live our lives wearing horse-blinders, I feel that is a step in the right direction.
Within life is balance; within balance is awareness. To live our lives in balance, we can take that next
step to awareness.
Blessings,
My last question here would be – Have you made that step?
Rev. Lee Fluhr
aka. Loki Aesir
correllianpriest@yahoo.com
4